The present invention relates generally to a unique construction for a fiber optic telecommunications signal patch panel. More specifically, the invention relates to a unique construction of a fiber optic signal interconnect or cross-connect module which also has an external configuration substantially similar to a corresponding external configuration of existing digital or analog signal modules for electrical conductors. This allows the fiber optic module to be inserted into and mounted on a rack on a network bay frame commonly used in mounting a panel of digital or analog telecommunications signal modules.
In modern telecommunications systems or networks, operators thereof are constantly in search of means for providing greater clarity and speed of transmissions. This has become particularly important with the advent of facsimile machines, centralized databases, and modems connected to computers. Each of these devices utilize telecommunications networks to perform their respective functions.
In the case of facsimile machines, for instance, telecommunications transmission lines and networks are used to transmit electronic information regarding the contents of a printed document from one location to another. In order for the receiver of a facsimile transmission to receive an accurate and clear copy of the document in the possession of the transmitter, the telecommunications lines, as well as all other related telecommunications equipment present in the network, must perform at an appropriate speed or baud rate.
Also, those same lines and equipment must be capable of accepting a signal from the transmitter's facsimile machine and delivering it to the receiver's facsimile machine without significant distortion. If distortion occurs, the document produced by the receiver's facsimile machine may be illegible. The distortion can also adversely affect voice transmissions, resulting in unintelligible and garbled communications.
Similar specifications are required when using a computer at one location to access a centralized database or another computer at a different location by means of a modem. Problems similar to those discussed hereinabove arise if the computer signal transmission is distorted. This is quite undesirable when dealing with computer programs because the distortion may affect only one line of a program possibly having thousands of lines of code, thereby making debugging incredibly difficult and time consuming.
Due to the current advances in telecommunications and electronic technology, operators and users of telecommunications networks alike are constantly in search of better and faster telecommunications equipment in order to improve signal transmission speed and quality.
When telecommunications networks were originally constructed, they used analog transmission technology. As the state of the art advanced, the analog components are replaced by faster, digital components. The digital components offer greater transmission clarity, thereby reducing the possibility of signal distortion during transmission.
However, the replacement of the analog components is quite costly in money, material and time because the entire supporting superstructure often has to be replaced, due to the incompatibility of the external configurations of the newer equipment with the constructions of the network bay frames and racks used to mount the older equipment. This high cost replacement continues as older digital telecommunications equipment is replaced by newer, substantially faster digital equipment. The frequency of replacement is high due to the almost daily advances made in digital technology.
Currently, many of the older, electrical conductor or metallic (e.g. copper) wire telecommunications transmission lines are being replaced by optical fiber transmission cables. The use of optical fiber cables results in even greater transmission speeds and further refinement of signal clarity. However, to use the superior optical fiber transmission technology, certain cross-connects and other telecommunications equipment, adapted especially for use with optical fiber transmissions must be used.
Thus, the older digital equipment has to be replaced by the fiber optic equipment. Due to the size and configuration incompatibility between the fiber optic equipment and the digital equipment superstructure, the same high cost replacement scenario detailed above occurs.
In order to keep the costs of equipment replacement as low as possible, the present invention provides a uniquely constructed fiber optic cross-connect type device or module which is compatible with an existing electrical conductor cross-connect superstructure. The uniquely constructed fiber optic module fits directly into the apertures and spaces which were designed to accept older and slower digital equipment for use with electrical conductor transmission lines.
Specifically, the fiber optic cross-connect of the present invention has an external mounting configuration or "footprint" which allows it to be mounted in the rack space designed for, or previously occupied by older equipment, and in substantially the same fashion as the older equipment.
With the use of the fiber optic cross-connect, constructed according to the teachings of the present invention, newer, faster fiber optic equipment can be installed either together with existing equipment or as a replacement of older equipment without having to remove or re-configure the existing telecommunications superstructure, thereby reducing network down time and lost revenues.
Some typical prior art fiber optic interconnect or cross-connect equipment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,421, issued on Nov. 20, 1990, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,887, issued on Mar. 3, 1992, both of which are commonly owned with this application.
This equipment has a relatively large and bulky external configuration, such that it would be difficult or impossible to mount this equipment in existing digital cross-connect superstructures or "racks." Even if this equipment were mounted in such racks, it would occupy an excessive amount of space, leaving insufficient space for the number and types of cross-connects and other related equipment commonly desired in such installations.